Last



mm. m mm, mamm W. A. WHENTLEW LAST Filed sa -k. 24, 192'? ow/Ito's Lil)ll atented fillet, ft, 'lhl'lllh t J li e m at v Lint tll l WALTER A.JAEKHIENTLER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSTGNOR TU KRENTLER ARNGLDJEEIIQ'GJE. LAST CUJltflPl-TNY, (J ll? DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATIONOF MICHIGAN.

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Application filed fiepteinber it This invention relates to a shoe lastand more particularly to a hinge construction for lasts wherein the heelpart and the toe part may be relatively turned to collapse the last forits insertion and withdrawal from a shoe.

An object of the invention is to provide a device for the purpose havinga minimun'i' number of parts of simple construction, thereby reducingthe cost of manufacture to a minimum. It is also an object to provide apivotal connecting device embodying yielding' means arranged to exert aforce tending to hold the last parts in contact with each other at alltimes, thus providing a take up for wear and holding the parts rigidlytogether against relative lateral movement It is also an object toprovide a connecting device, the construction of which is such as tofacilitate the assembly of the device within the last and when soassembled is concealed within the last parts and provides a very strongconnection therebetween adapted to effectually resist the strains towhich the last is subjected during the leveling, heeling and truingoperations in the manufacture of shoes by present day methods. it isalso an object to secure the several advantages inherent in theparticular construction, all as hereinafter more fully set forth. 7

With the above and other ends in view the invention consists inproviding a single con necting member arranged to house a coil spring,with pivot members passing through said connecting member and into thelast parts and with the spring acting upon one of said pivot members tomove the connect ing member longitudinally and exert a force tending tomove the pivot members toward each other and hold the last parts in firmseating contact, one upon the other. The invention further consists inthe novel construction and arrangement of the connecting device, all ashereinafter more fully described and more particularly pointed out inthe appended claims, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing inwhich Figure 1 is a side elevation of a last with portions broken awayand in section to show a connecting device illustrative of the presentinvention in. operative position relative to the last parts, which lastparts are shown in extended position; a

2 is a View similar to that of Fig. 1 showing the last parts incontracted or folded position 4-, rear. Serial No. 221,830.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section substantially upon the line of Fig. 1;and i Fig. t is a sectional detail of the connecting device detached.

ln the drawing a particular construction of last is illustrated but itwill be understood that the connectii'ig device to which the presentinvention relates, may be applied to other forms of hinged lasts, theform shown being of an old and well known construction embodying a toeportion 1 which is formed at its rear end with a socket 2 to receive aknuckle portion 3 formed integral with the heel portion 4; of the last.The knuckle 3 is adapted to seat within the socket Qand turn freelytherein, but the device is devoid of a central pivot for positivelypreventing the separation of the heel and toe portions of the last. Theconnecting device which comprises a tubular member 5 has a transverseopening 6 at oneend to receive a pivot pin 7 and a longitudinal slot 8intermediate its ends through which slot at second pivot pin 9 cantends, said pivot pin 9, in the assembly of the last, being inserted inan opening in the toe portion of the last well forward of the socket 2to pivotally connect the member 5 to the toe portion of the last, andthe pivot pin 7 engages a transverse opening in the heel portion of thelast well to the rear of the knuckle 3 and thus pivotally connects thisend of the member 5 to the heel portion of the last.

The wall of the tube 5 is formed inwardly at one end of the tube, thusforming an end flange 10 at the end of the tube and this flange providesa seat for one end of a coil spring 11 inserted in the tube between saidseat and the pivot pin 9; When the parts are assembled this spring isput under compression by the insertion of the pivot pin 9 through theslots 8 in the tube and thus said spring normally exerts a force tendingto hold the tube moved endwise with the pin 9 engaged with the end ofthe slot, and when the coi'inecting device is assen'ibled in. the last,this spring will therefore exert a force tending to pull the heelportion of the last toward the toe portion and hold the knuckle firmlyto its seat 2 in the toe portion.

The openings in the heel and toe portions of the last to receive thepins 7 and 9, are so located relative to the axis of turning movement ofthe knuckle 8, that when the last is extended with the heel portion inthe position ing from one position to the other the distance between thecenters of the pins 7 and 9 increases as the device swings past the axisof the knuckle, and such increase is provided for by the slots 8'in thetube 5 and by the yielding action of the spring 11.

The spring 11 being under compression at all times will hold the knuckleof the heel portion firmly seated in its socket on the toe portion andwill exert a'force to yie'ldingly hold the heel part in either of itsextended or contract-ed positions and with suflicient force to preventcollapsing of the last during the pulling over and lasting operations.

The toe portion of the last is provided with a forwardly extending cutor recess 12 to receive the forward end of the connecting device andpermit the swinging movement thereof, and the heel portion of the lastis formed with a cut or recess 13 extending transversely of the knuckle3 and in alignment with the recess 12 to receive the rear end of theconnecting device. These cuts or recesses are located midway of thewidth of the last and extend well into the body of each last part, sothat the pivot pins 7 and 9 are located within the solid portion of thebody where they will not tend to weaken the'same and cause the lastparts to split or crack under the strains to which the last issubjected. The width of each of the recesses 12 and 13 transversely ofthe last is substant-iallyequal to the diameter of the tube 5 andtherefore said tube is guided in its swinging movement by the sidewallsof the recesses, and the tube therefore strengthens and stifl'ens thehinge of the last and prevents relative lateral movement between the toeand heel portions.

V As shown in the drawings the tube 5 is preferably formed from a stripof sheet metal which is rolled up into tubular form with the edges ofthe sheet in substantially abutting relation, forming a seam orlongitudinal opening 14 extending the full length of the tube. Theflange 10 may be formed at the'end of this tube in any suitable manneras by forming inwardly the end of the wall.

. This construction provides a connecting devicewhich is extremelysimple and is very cheap to manufacture. Further the tube forms a housmgfor the spring which may be inserted in the tube before the connectingdevice is connected to. the last parts and therefore the assembly isgreatly facilitated.

Obviously the form of the connecting member 5 may be changed to suit theconditions of use, and this member may be of tubular stock or may beformed up in any suitable manner to give the desired strength andrigidity, the tubular form being preferable however as this form is verystrong and rigid and at the same time light in weight and provides ahousing for the spring 11. Such changes as fall within the scope of theappended claims are conten'iplated, and I do not there'li'ore wish tolimit myself to the particular construction shown.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. Aconnecting device for hinged lasts comprising a single non-flexiblemember h aving an opening adjacent one end to receive a pivot pin and alongitudinal slot intermediate its ends to receive a second pivot pin,and yielding means for yieldingly holding said member movedlongitudinally with one of said pivot pins in engagement with the innerend of the slot in the member.

2. A connecting device for hinged lasts comprising a laterallynon-yielding and a longitudinally non-extensible member having anopening adjacent one end to receive a pivot pin for pivotally connectingsaid end to the heel portion of a last and having a longitudinal slotintermediate its ends to receive a transverse pivot pin for connectingthe opposite end of said member to the toe portion of a last, and aspring seated at one end upon the toe end of said member and adapted toseat at its opposite end against the pivot pin extending through saidslot. said spring exerting a force to normally hold said member withsaid pivot pin in .ci'lgagement with the inner end of said slot and thelast parts in yielding engagement with each other.

3. A connecting device for hinged lasts comprising a tubular memberhaving a transverse opening adjacent one end to receive a pivot pin forconnecting said end to a last part and having a longitudinal slotintermediate its ends to receive a transverse pivot pin for connectingthe member to another last part, and a coil spring within said tubularmember under COJTIPI'QSSiOD between the toe end thereof and the pivotpin extending through said slot.

4. A connecting device for hinged lasts comprising a tubular memberformed with an opening adjacent one end to receive a pivot pin andformed with longitudinal slots in its sides to receive a second pivotpin, said tubular member being also formed with an inwardly projectingend flange, and a coil spring within said tube seated at one end uponsaid flange and engaging at its opposite end the pivot pin within saidslots, said spring being under compression.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature.

WALTER A. KRENTLER.

